Statesmen Win ECAC James Lynah Bowl, 42-14, Finish 2025 on 5-Game Win Streak

The Hobart College Statesmen finished their 2025 campaign on a five-game winning streak, defeating the SUNY-Maritime Privateers in convincing fashion in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl game, 42-14.

Hobart (6-5, 4-3) controlled the game from the get-go. The Statesmen outgained the Privateers (5-6, 3-4) 472-316 total yards. JR RB EJ Taylor had his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season, carrying the ball 19 times for 172 yards and 2 rushing TDs.

SO QB Jeremy Weiss went 8-13 for 186 yards, 3 passing TDs and only one INT. His favorite target was SO WR Johnny Harding who caught two passes for 53 yards with both going for TDs. SR LB Noah Chachere and SO DL Trey Dillanough led the Hobart defense with nine tackles each. 

Hobart opened the scoring with SR QB Tru Styles running in from 11 yards out to take an early, 7-0, lead. Taylor would score his first TD of the day to open the second quarter to give the Statesmen a 14-0 advantage. Credit Maritime, they made it 14-7 with 3:19 to go before the half, but Hobart would take a 21-7 halftime lead thanks to a Weiss to JR WR Marcus Peterson 38-yard TD pass.

The second half was all Hobart with the second Taylor TD run and both of Harding's TD receptions. Although the Statesmen would give up a "garbage time" TD, they would win the game. 42-14.

This concludes Hobart's season and ends it on a positive note. I'll have a season recap and review later next week. In the meantime, let's enjoy this, the Statesmen's fourth ECAC bowl championship.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

ECAC James Lynah Bowl Preview: Hobart vs. SUNY-Maritime

The Hobart College Statesmen will make the long drive down to the Bronx to take on the SUNY-Maritime Privateers of the NEWMAC in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl. 

The game is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Maritime's Reinhart Field in Throggs Neck, New York, giving the Privateers home-field advantage. This marks the first-ever football meeting between these two programs. Kickoff is set for 1 PM.

This game is a classic battle of strengths: Hobart's dominant run game and elite defense versus Maritime's balanced, pass-first attack and time of possession ball control offense.

The Statesmen (5-5, 4-3) enter the bowl on a scorching four-game winning streak, suggesting they've peaked at the perfect time. Their identity is clear:

Elite Rushing Attack: Hobart's offense is powered by JR RB E.J. Taylor, who posted his sixth straight 100-yard rushing performance in the regular-season finale. He is the engine of the offense, allowing them to control the clock and score in the red zone (26 rushing TDs total). Hobart averages 163.6 RYPG and a robust 4.6 YPR.

Lights-Out Defense: Led by SR OLB Mike McGhee, the defense is the team's true calling card. They led the Liberty League in total defense, allowing a mere 267.9 YPG and just 19.4 PPG. They are excellent at stopping the run (114.3 YPG allowed).

The X-Factor: SO QB Jeremy Weiss has established himself as a capable passer (12 TDs, 2 INTs), but his role is often managing the game and taking shots when the defense commits to the run.

The Maritime Privateers (5-5, 3-4) is looking to bounce back from a tough end to their schedule, including a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to MIT and a loss to conference champion Springfield. The Privateers identity is:

Balanced Offensive Output: The Privateers are slightly more balanced than Hobart, averaging 171.5 rushing YPG and 183.7 passing YPG.

Time of Possession (TOP): Maritime is highly successful in controlling the ball, owning a massive TOP advantage (32:07 per game). This is key to keeping Hobart's star RB on the sideline.

Air Attack Threat: GR QB Will Pickett is the focal point of the offense, a threat through the air (17 TDs, 6 INTs) and a key part of their rushing game (10 rushing TDs). His ability to hit his receivers will test Hobart's secondary.

Run Defense is a Concern: Maritime's run defense is respectable but allows a higher yards-per-carry average (144 RYPG) than Hobart's defense. The Privateers will need their front seven to be at their best to stop the momentum of the Statesmen's running game.

Keys to the Game:

1. Feed Taylor: Establish the OL's control of the LOS and run the ball early. Keeping Taylor on the field will wear down the Privateers' defensive front.

2. Pressure Pickett: Contain the Maritime QB's running ability and force him into quick, inaccurate throws.

3. Avoid Turnovers: Do not give Maritime's opportunistic offense short fields in a potentially low-scoring affair.

Final Thoughts:

This is an incredibly even matchup on paper, with both teams coming in at 5-5. However, the contrast in recent momentum is striking. Hobart is red-hot, having corrected their mid-season struggles, while Maritime has struggled against the top teams in the NEWMAC late in the year.

The key factor will be Hobart's ability to run the ball on Maritime's home turf. The Statesmen's suffocating defense is designed to win games in the low-to-mid 20s, which is often what bowl games involving defensive teams become. Maritime will get their offense moving, but ultimately, the Statesmen's ability to consistently control the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively, will give them the edge.

I am biased, but I like Hobart's chances to take an ECAC Trophy back to home to Geneva and end the 2025 on a real high note.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

(PS - thanks to Rowan superfan and friend Juan Sanchez for help with this write up).

Statesmen Set to Sail to NYC to Face SUNY-Maritime in the 2025 ECAC James Lynah Bowl

The Hobart College Statemen will go bowling, getting the final bowl selection to play the SUNY-Maritime Privateers of the NEWMAC. This will be the first ever meeting between these two programs. 

Maritime (5-5, 3-4) is coached by Anthony Trotta (Wilkes '17), who has prior experience with the Statesmen (5-5, 4-3) as the former defensive coordinator for Union College. Trotta also worked for former Hobart OC / QB coach Jon Drach (now the HC at Liberty League Champion, Union).

Kickoff time for the game is determined by the two teams, per the ECAC, so "check your local listings" later this week for more information. I thought this could be a possibility, and I believe this pairing was achieved by Hobart and Maritime by having the best NPI rankings of the remaining .500 or better teams in the pool. The Privateers ended up having a slightly higher NPI (aka the NCAA Power Index rating of 115) than the Statesmen (which ended up with a NPI of 128), which is probably why they are the hosts.

I am happy for both teams, but obviously more of the Statesmen seniors and players, to have earned this additional opportunity to suit up one more time this season. 

I'll have more on this matchup later this week. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Roll Bengals, 35-9, Await (Hopefully An) ECAC Bowl Bid

The Hobart College Statesmen ended their 2025 regular season on a four-game winning streak, beating the Buffalo State Bengals, 35-9, on Senior Day. You can read all about it via the HWSAthletics.com release here.

Hobart (5-5. 4-3) had to wait out a lightning delay and now waits out this morning to see whether or not they'll receive a potential postseason ECAC Bowl game. Please join us on In the D3FB Huddle at noon to see if they receive a bid. 

A bid will come down to whether or not there are four bowl games, not three, like they had last year. The Statesmen are one of five .500 teams, but they are the only ones with a winning conference record. I am hoping this group gets one more chance. We will find out in a couple of hours.

Thanks as always for reading, and go 'Bart!

Saluting the Statesmen Class of 2026 on Senior Day

The Hobart College Statesmen look to end what's been a challenging 2025 regular season on a relatively high note, looking for their fourth consecutive win while celebrating the 17 members of the Statesmen Class of 2026.

While there are a couple of Statesmen in the SR class who could return given eligibility, that's never a guarantee, so we are going to list everyone with the assumption that they are graduating in May.

Here they are, listed by number:

1 SR DB Alex Smith

4 SR RB Tahj Jackson

10 SR WR Anthony Ruscetta

15 SR DB Sam Sklar

21 SR OLB Mike McGhee

22 SR LB Noah Chacere

32 SR RB Kieran Cotter

34 SR TE Lukas Ruby

41 SR RB Byron Maddox, Jr. 

61 SR OL Alex Shahdanian

65 SR OL Ben Goodell

69 SR OL Quinn Broggy

71 SR OL Belendjy Geneus

73 SR OL Ashton Mejias

88 SR TE Luke Hescock

93 SR PK Vicente Lyon

96 SR DL Dante Randle

These 17 Hobart Statesmen will suit up for their final home game at the "Boz" Saturday. Kickoff against the Bengals of Buffalo State (1-8, 1-5) is scheduled for 1 PM. With confirmation that Hobart has submitted a bid for consideration in the ECAC Bowl series, the Statesmen should have an opportunity for one more game if they can end the season with a win. 

Frank Rossi and I will once again announce the ECAC Bowl game pairings the Monday (November 17th) after the NCAA playoff field is announced (Sunday, November 16). Follow In the D3FB Huddle for more information on upcoming preview and reaction shows. 

Thanks as always for reading and let's hope we send off these Statesmen with a win and get some good news regarding "bonus football" a week from today.

Go 'Bart!

Hobart Humbles Hilbert in Hamburg, 63-6

The Hobart College Statesmen improved to 4-5, 3-3 overall with a resounding, 63-6 win over Hilbert College Saturday. The Statesmen scored nine total TDs with SO QB Jeremy Weiss going 8-11 for 113 yards with two TDs and SR QB Tru Styles going 3-5 for 60 yards and one passing score. This was the Statesmen third straight victory, with a chance to end the season a four-game winning streak. 

SO WR Johnny Harding had seven receptions for 72 yards and 2 TDs, while JR RB EJ Taylor had one receiving TD to go with 148 yards rushing the three rushing TDs.

Also scoring for Hobart included SR RB Tahj Jackson, SR RB Bryon Maddox, Jr. and SO WR Tristan Reynolds. SR LB Mike McGhee and JR DL Hunter Vos led the defense with six tackles each. 

Given this result, I expect Hobart to submit a bid for an ECAC Postseason Bowl game before the November 10th deadline. Next weekend will be the regular season finale and Senior Day against Buffalo State (1-8, 1-5).

More to come on that this week. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Looking Ahead to Weeks 10 and 11

We've reached the home stretch of the 2025 season. It will go down as a tough one for the Hobart College Football team, but after a rough start, the Statesmen (3-5, 2-3) have a chance to go out on a four-game win streak. 

Last Saturday's win over Rochester marked not only a turning point in the season but also marked an important milestone as HC Kevin DeWall '00 won his 50th game!

Going forward, Hobart takes on new Liberty League affiliate member, Hilbert College (Hamburg, NY, near Buffalo) this weekend before wrapping up the season at home against Buffalo State. The Hawks (0-8. 0-6) are only in their second year as a varsity program. They've yet to win a game in the Empire 8 (where they were members last year) and the LL so far. This will be a game where the starters should give way to backups and younger Statesmen to keep building towards 2026.

Buffalo State's only win this season was a 15-7 one over Hilbert back in Week 4. They have otherwise struggled this year (1-7, 1-4) and will complete their seventh losing season in a row. They went 6-5, 3-4 in the Empire 8 back in 2017.

I will do a short recap of the Hilbert game this weekend and highlight the Hobart seniors who will be suiting up for the final time going into in Week 11. There are 17 listed on the current roster as part of the Class of 2026, so we want to send them off in style.

I suppose if the Statesmen put their name in for an ECAC bowl bid there's an outside chance, not a great one but not impossible, that they could get selected. We did see Stevenson receive one after a 5-5 season (Frank and I cohost the ECAC Bowl Selection show every year and will again this Monday, November 17, more to come on that). The Mustangs travelled to Morrisville State and lost, 21-18, in HC Ed Raby's final game (he would take the HC job at Saint John Fisher a month or so later) at Mo'ville.

That's all for now, so thanks as always for reading. More to come as this blog creeps closer to its 1000th post (kind of crazy that's almost here). 

Go 'Bart!

Statesmen Survive in Overtime, 28-21, Over Rochester to Retain the Centennial Cup

It was a tale of two halves.

The Hobart College Statesmen rolled over the University of Rochester to a 21-0 advantage in the first half in Saturday's Centennial Cup game - the 117th in the series. SO QB Jeremy Weiss had 2 passing TDs and JR RB EJ Taylor had over 130 rushing yards and a TD to pace the Statesmen. 

Then after the half, a different team showed up. The Yellow Jackets scored 21 unanswered points to comeback and make it a game. A long FG attempt at the end of the game went wide right, forcing overtime.

In overtime Hobart leaning once again on Taylor, but ultimately it was a SR QB Tru Styles pass to JR WR Marcus Peterson that put the Statesmen up, 28-21, in the first OT period.

The defense would carry the day as the Yellow Jackets (5-3, 2-3) would drive inside the two-yard line but get intercepted (or batted down, the announcers called it an INT) on fourth down to seal the win for the Statesmen!

Leading the defense today was SR LB and Captain Mike McGhee who had eight tackles. His first of the game was his 200th of his impressive Hobart career. Speaking of career days, JR RB EJ Taylor had a career best game of 196 rushing yards on 28 carries and a TD. SO WR Johnny Harding finished the day with seven catches for 133 yards and a TD (all in the first half). 

The win improves the Statesmen's record to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Liberty League. Based on the remaining schedule, Hobart is basically guaranteed to finish the season 5-5. More on that this week. 

What a big win this was for the future of the Hobart program. In spite of an ugly and confused second half, the Statesmen pulled themselves together when it mattered and won, keeping the Centennial Cup in Geneva for a 14th straight year.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Centennial Cup (and more) On the Line in Week 9

The Hobart College Statesmen will make the short trip down I-90 to take on the University of Rochester in the annual Centennial Cup game. One big difference this season is that this game is not the regular season finale for the first time in a couple of decades. 

This will be the 117th installment of the longest rivalry series between Hobart (2-5, 1-3) and Rochester (5-2, 2-2) that dates back to 1892. The Statesmen have recently enjoyed a 13-game winning streak over the Yellow Jackets. Rochester's last win in this season was back in 2010. Last season Hobart dispatched Rochester with relative ease, 37-7, in the 2024 regular season finale. 

This season is a totally different story as you can argue the Yellow Jackets are coming into this game as the favorites, in spite of the recent history between these two teams. This is a must win for Hobart who is looking to avoid their first losing season in 30 years. 

Beating Rochester will take a full team effort, not unlike what we saw against Saint Lawrence.

Scouting the Yellow Jackets

Rochester is led by Hobart graduate and former Statesmen QB Chad Martinovich '94. He's built the Yellow Jackets into a run-first offensive and tough defensive team since taking over the program after taking MIT to the NCAA playoffs.

Rochester averages about 24 PPG on offense and has called 245 rushing compared to 177 passing plays (58 to 42%). The Yellow Jackets average five yards per carry and about the same per completion (5.3). Defensively the have held teams to under 14 PPG on average, and most notably have only allowed 12 total TDs over seven games this season. 

The offense is led by FY QB Shawn Bellenger. He's gone 67-118 (56.78%) passing with three passing TDs compared to only two INTs. He took over from JR QB Victor Moran, but if needed, Moran has been effective at times - passing for 263 yards and five passing TDs with two INTs.

SO RB Cole Raux leads the rushing attack with 506 yards on 105 carries this season (4.8 YPR). He's tied with FY QB Jett Genovese and SR RB Jake Adelmann with three rushing TDs. Raux is a safety valve in the passing game, catching 15 passes for 66 yards and one TD.  

SR WR Aidan Papantonis is the leading receiver, catching 39 passes for 430 yards and six receiving TDs. While Papatonis is a proven go-to receiver, Rochester has three other WRs with at least 10 catches this season.

Defensively the Yellow Jackets are led by JR LB Jack Diggins and JR DB Braydon Felsinger with 62 and 60 tackles, respectively. 

Diggins has picked off opposing QB three times and forced one fumble. Felsinger has two INTs, four PBUs and one FF to go with four TFL. SR DL Victor Little (who's not that small at 6' 3" and 280 lbs.) leads Rochester with six TFL and four sacks up front. 

JR PK Kyle Brainard is the Yellow Jacket's primary special team's player. He handles KOs (53.7 YPKO), punting (38.4 YPP) and FGs (going 3-6 with a long of 35 yards). In the return game, Genovese has handled the majority of KOs and JR WR T.J. Shifflet (who went to the high school where I live in FL), has handled the majority of PRs for Rochester this season.

Keys to the Game:

1. Turnovers: Rochester has feasted on their opponent's mistakes this season, thanks to a +8 TOM. They've collected 10 INTs and forced 15 fumbles, recovering six. Hobart absolutely needs to protect the football and not let the Yellow Jackets offense, which averages over 300 YPG and has scored 22 TDs get any "freebies".

2. Bend Don't Break: Rochester has struggled in the red zone, converting only 14 trips into TDs on 28 tries. While I expect the Yellow Jackets offense to gain yards between the 20's, we need the Statesmen defense to keep their point total below their season average to win on Saturday. 

3. Start Fast and Keep Pushing: Hobart will do better if they start off with a lead. The offense finally clicked last weekend and should be confident going into this game. The defense needs to pressure this FY QB and the UofR OL has allowed 12 sacks this season (almost two per game). If the Statesmen can force the Yellow Jackets to play from behind and force a couple of turnovers, that will go a long way towards retaining the Cup for another year.

Final Thoughts:

This is the game that will define the 2025 season. Hobart will win its final two games against Hilbert (0-7, 0-5) and Buffalo State (1-6, 1-3), so the only thing keeping the Statesmen from their worst season in 30 years is this game. 

It won't be easy, and Rochester will view this as a big opportunity, but Hobart has the players and plan to come away with a needed win Saturday.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Set Records, Soar in 49-17 Win Over Saint Lawrence

The Hobart College Statesmen racked up an impressive 544 yards of offense while limiting the visiting Saint Lawrence Saints to only 194 total yards. 

SO QB Jeremy Weiss and SO WR Jordan Nolan broke the Hobart all-time single pass completion and reception records with a 96-yard bomb to put the Statesmen (2-5, 1-3) up 27-7 right before halftime. Nolan would collect another TD in the second half to finish the day with a career high three catches for 154 yards. Weiss finished the game 13-17 for 329 yards and four passing TDs, one of the best performances by a Hobart QB in about a decade. Getting in on the fun was JR RB E.J. Taylor, who rushed 19 times for 103 yards and two rushing TDs.

The Hobart defense was led by FY LB Jeron Atwater, Jr with a team high 8 tackles. Speaking of, on Tackles and TDs day, that totals up to seven TDs and 58 total tackles. Looks like I'm cutting a decent check to the Happiness House, which I am more than happy to do.

Up next for the Statesmen are the Rochester Yellowjackets. Rochester (4-2, 1-2) is a heavy favorite against Buffalo State (1-5, 1-2) today. I'll have more on that one early next week. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 8 - Send in the Saints for Tackles & Touchdowns Saturday

Well, if there was ever a time Hobart could use a win, there couldn't be a better opponent than one where they have a 13-game winning streak and who the Statesmen (1-5, 0-3) have beaten by a combined score of 105-13 over the past three seasons, right?

To be fair, every season is a new one. Although this year's Saint Lawrence Saints (2-4, 1-2) team has also struggled, they do bring back some experienced players and have acquitted themselves well in games against strong teams like Saint John Fisher and Ithaca.

Hobart is 57-36-2 all time against the Saints, making this the 96th game in this series, dating back to 1901. Last season the Statesmen held Saint Lawrence to a single FG in a convincing, 39-3 win, up in Canton. 

This year's game will be at the Boz and coincides with the annual Tackles and Touchdowns fundraiser for the Ability Partners Foundation which supports Happiness House in Geneva, Rochester Rehabilitation and the services of CP Rochester. Happiness House is a school that gives opportunities to young students and adults with disabilities to learn and flourish in a safe environment.

Scouting the Saints

SLU is led by SR QB Will Lederman on offense. He's gone 71-112 (63.39%) for 1,076 yards, with nine passing TDs compared to only one INT. He's also the Saints' leading rusher with 235 rushing yards and has scored four of the team's five rushing TDs.

When he isn't tucking and running, Lederman has a pair of favorite targets in SR WRs Shea Goodwin and Nicolas Huhtala. Goodwin has a team high 24 receptions for 345 yards and has one receiving TD. Huhtala has caught 22 passes for 326 yards and a team leading four receiving TDs. SR WR Ciesielski (shown above) has four catches for 121 yards and a TD. He also handles the majority of KO and PRs, averaging just over 21 YPKOR.

The Saints offense is balanced as they've rushed to close to the same number of yards as they have passing (some losses in the running game have clipped the total however). If not Lederman calling his own number, SO RB James Geschiedle has run it 41 times for 109 yards.

Defensively SLU is led by SR LB Ryan Surhoff with a team high 45 tackles. He's added 2.5 TFL, two sacks, an INT, four FFs and one FR this season. SO DL Ethan Metro is on the small side, but he makes up for it in speed and production. He has 6.5 TFL and leads the team with three sacks. 

On special teams, SO PK Sam Arbaugh handles punts (37.96 average) and SR PK Clayton Fogler handles KOs (52 YPKO) and FGs (going 5-9 with a long of 49 yards).

Keys to the Game:

1. Back to Basics - the Saints have given up over 177 RYPG and 10 TDs on the ground this season, so I'd like to see Hobart line it up and commit to running the ball for the majority of the game. Certainly, mixing in some play action and other passes - we have some strong TEs, why not use them a little bit more here and there - along the way. To their credit, SLU barely turns the ball over, so the Statesmen will need to be opportunistic on defense, bottling up Lederman and look to force three and outs. Hopefully on offense, Hobart can start converting more 3rd downs, which has been a challenge all season.

2. Score (More): The Statesmen have yet to score more than 23 points in a game this season, and they've scored over 30 PPG against SLU for a few years now. I'm hoping the fact that the Saints have allowed 14 scoring opportunities (11 TDs, 3 FGs) in 16 redzone trips, means that Hobart can put up some points this Saturday, not just for the home crowd, but to raise more money for the Ability Foundation.

3. Fighting to .500: In order to climb back to a better season, the Statesmen need to go 1-0 this week. The Saints will view this as a rare opportunity to beat Hobart - they've only done it once in 2010 and that was after an 18-game losing streak they had to the Statesmen from 1992-2009. While Hobart has been down, they are not out. A win on Saturday is the first of four steps back to .500.

Final Thoughts:

Every game is a must win from here on out, and the Statesmen will need to be ready to take the Saints best shot. SLU will come into this game with more confidence than in prior seasons. Hobart will just have to execute its game plan and snuff out any hope the Saints have early on in this one.

Keep an eye (and ear) out for Ted Baker's Hobart Football podcast that'll be recorded Wednesday and released not too long after that. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Reflections on the Statesmen's Season to Date Going into the Bye Week

Last Saturday the Statesmen suffered yet another loss this season, and their fifth in a row on the road in Schenectady against Union College, 33-16. Hobart's record at the bye week is 1-5, 0-3, easily the worst mark in 30 (or more years) of Statesmen football. What's gone wrong and can Hobart turn the tide to avoid their first losing season in 30 years?

No offense, but it's the Offense

Back in the preseason, I was very bullish on the upcoming Hobart Football season given all the depth and experience the Statesmen had coming back on offense. The entire OL, a 1,000-yard RB, a deep WR and TE corps and a QB who had appeared in over 10 games. It didn't take long for that strength to develop some weaknesses as the three OL starters were lost by midway through the Alfred game in Week 1. The QB competition turned into a three-man rotation who just couldn't really run the offense the way I assume HC Kevin DeWall '00 hoped. These issues compounded with a terrible third down conversion rate (14-65 or 21.54%) and only 14.33 PPG scored. This left the defense hung out to dry (opponent's TOP has averaged almost 31 and a half minutes per game) and while they acquitted themselves well for the first five weeks of the season, they eventually began to break, allowing 36 and 33 points in the last two weeks.

Injuries

A rash of injuries unlike anything I've seen in almost 35 years of watching Hobart Football has taken its toll this season. For the Union game, 26 players sat out of practice the week of and only about a group of 45 travelled to the game. While I thought the lacrosse team was the only one to have this kind of issue (it's been a problem for about five years there), it appears that whatever strength and conditioning is doing isn't working now for football also. This is probably due to having Division I experienced people working at the DIII level. The feedback I've heard through the grapevine is not positive to say the least, and I really hope someone at the College looks into this problem for the sake of the student athletes.

Just bad luck

To be fair, the Statesmen were only a few plays away from winning the Alfred, Brockport, and Ithaca games. That DPI no call in the game against the Bombers was the difference between it being a 13-7 Ithaca win and a 14-13 Hobart one. While maybe Hobart would have still dropped the RPI and Union games, sitting at 4-2 would feel a lot better than this current predicament. 

 

Looking Ahead

The good news for Hobart fans is that the bye week will give this banged up squad a chance to recover and get some key players back into the lineup and continue to practice improving execution on offense and defense. The Statesmen should be favorites in three of the last four games, so they have a good chance to win them. The big question mark is whether or not they can shut down a resurgent Rochester (4-2, 1-2) team at home in Week 9.

So here we are, it's an unfamiliar place for Hobart fans who's seen this program average 7.55 wins a season dating back to 1995. The Statesmen have only finished the regular season with only five wins three times in the last 30 years. While it's been a rough year, there should be hope that Hobart can end this year on a strong note.

We're here for it. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 6 - Statesmen Look to Save Face in Schenectady

The Hobart College Statesmen's 2025 season hasn't gone as planned, but with five games remaining, it's far from over. As stated in my preseason preview, the hard part was September and the Statesmen's schedule eases up from October on. That doesn't mean Hobart (1-4, 0-2) can just go on cruise control and end up 6-4, with a shot at an ECAC bowl bid.

No, the Statesmen need to start taking this opportunity to rebuild and go 1-0 each week, as there are really no "gimmes" anymore given all the bad breaks they've seen this season. Especially with long-time rival Union College (3-2, 2-0) looking to take the Statesmen down another notch.

Hobart is 51-54-2 all-time against the Dutchmen (I refuse to call them the "Chargers"), making this game the 108th time the two programs have faced off. The Statesmen have struggled to win at Frank Bailey Field, going 25-34-2 and losing four of the last five games there. Hobart's most recent victory in Union territory was ten years ago, an emphatic 52-14 stomping of the Dutchmen on Halloween in 2015. 

Last season the Statesmen shutout Union, 27-0, but with a year under his belt, HC Jon Drach has these Dutchmen playing bigger and better than they did in 2024.

Scouting the Dutchmen:

After losing their first two games to nationally ranked teams, the Dutchmen have rattled off three straight wins. They are outscoring their opposition 24.6-17.6 PPG and are, not surprisingly given Drach's pedigree, an explosive offensive team. Union averages nearly 400 YPG in total offense and are almost 50-50 when it comes to the pass (203.8 YPG and eight TDs) and the run (190.2 YPG and seven rushing scores). The Dutchmen average over five yards per rush and seven per reception so the Statesmen defense will have their hands full Saturday.

The Union offense is led by SR QB Patch Flanagan who's improved a great deal since I saw him play in person at Utica in Week 1 of 2024. He struggled with turnovers then and did to start this season, throwing eight INTs compared to eight passing TDs, but six of those INTs came in Weeks 1 and 2. He's gone 77-132 for 986 yards, which averages close to 200 YPG passing.

Flanagan's primary targets are SR WR Gil Rivera (22 catches for 295 yards and four TDs), SR WR Dan Quinn (11-237 and two TDs) and JR WR Owen Corrigan (9-131 and one TD). 

The Dutchmen rushing attack is also led by Flanagan, who calls his own number in the RPO a lot. He's rushed for a team high 452 yards and 4 rushing TDs. JR RB Michael Dinardo and SO RB Jah'Cire Jones have combined for nearly 100 carries and over 350 rushing yards.

The defense is led by SO LB John Droggitis and JR LB Dewayne Hinds who've tallied 34 and 33 total tackles each. The defensive front is led by JR DL Jordan Black who has a team high 6.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks (second best to SO DL Peter Nizolek with three sacks). In general, the Dutchmen defense is a physical and attacking unit. They've racked up 44 TFL and 22 sacks over five games, while their OL line, to their credit, has only allowed 22 TFL and two sacks over that same period. 

On special teams Union is another team with three PK specialists. FY PK/WR Evan Anderson has handled punts, averaging 41.26 YYP. SO PK Francesco Pileggi (from Brazil of all places), has gone 2-3 on short range FGs. SR PK Ryan Mulderig averages nearly 62 YPKO. Half of his KOs (10/20) have resulted in touchbacks. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Keep a Level Head: With no love lost on either sideline between these two rivals, you can expect the Dutchmen to come out very fired up like there's "blood in the water." They would love to continue to pile onto Hobart's struggles, so the Statesmen need to put everything in the rearview mirror and just focus on the current play. Getting drawn into penalties because of jawing and/or cheap shots, which Union has done in the past (I'm hoping Drach has eliminated that from their culture), is something the Statesmen simply cannot afford. This is an important business trip to save the season, so Hobart needs to act like it.

2. Flummox Flanagan: While he is an experienced QB, Flanagan has been turnover prone throughout his career. The Statesmen defense needs to play a game like they did vs. Utica and keep the pressure on the QB to force INTs.

3. The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Hobart needs to win the TOP battle in this one and keep this high-powered Union offense on the sideline. The Dutchmen defense allows close to 300 total YPG and almost five yards per play, so the Statesmen can grind away running and working short passing completions to chip away at the clock. Field position will also be important, if Hobart can't score, they need to flip the playing field and keep Union looking at 80+ yard drives.

Final Thoughts:

The character of this team will be revealed either way in this game. I hope we see a Statesmen squad that fights (fairly, without rash outbursts) all the way to the end of the whistle. I knew it wouldn't take Coach Drach long to turn the Dutchmen around, but I am not ready to see them turn the tide on Hobart just yet. 

You can expect a close game, I just hope the Statesmen can put the past behind them and start the second half of the season on a positive note. A rare win at Frank Bailey would go a LONG WAY in doing that.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Engineers Wreck Homecoming, 36-10

That was rough. 

No way to sugar coat it, the 36-10 loss to RPI (4-1, 2-0) on Homecoming was Hobart's only fourth, but it is also the worst, home loss under HC Kevin DeWall '00. JR RB E.J. Taylor had over 100 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough, as the hapless Statesmen offense continues to sputter along.

You can read about the game from the HWSAthletics.com site here. 

This is also the worst start for a Hobart (1-4, 0-2) team in 30 years - even longer if you factor in one of the losses from that 1995 season was given back to the Statesmen as a forfeit given NCAA violations by Saint John Fisher at the time. For the record, the Cardinals won the game on 9/16/95, 35-20. That was also the last year Hobart had a losing season, which this version of the Statesmen is looking to avoid.

Hobart travels to long-time league rival, Union College (3-2, 2-0), who of course are coached by former Hobart OC and QB coach, Jon Drach. Coach Drach is 6-9 as the Dutchmen's HC, and so far, has a winning record in his second season at the helm.

The Statesmen shut out the Dutchmen, 27-0, last season. But this is a different year. Still, a win on Saturday at Union, which Hobart hasn't accomplished going back to the 2015 season, who be a nice consolation on what's already been a difficult season.

I'll have more on that matchup later this week. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 5 - RPI Comes to Hobart for Homecoming

After a September of bad bounces and calls, maybe what the Hobart College Statesmen need is some old-fashioned home cooking? Hobart (1-3, 0-1) returns to the Boz desperately needing a win after a difficult slate of games and adversity.  

Coming to town is long-time league rival, the RPI Engineers (3-1, 1-0), who are coming off a big 31-3 thrashing of previously unbeaten Rochester (3-1, 0-1). You can read about that game here. 

Hobart and RPI's rivalry dates back to 1910. The Statesmen and Engineers games have traditionally been close ones, and Hobart only has a narrow 34-32-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Statesmen have won four of the last five contests however and have not lost to the Engineers at home since the 2015 season, when they failed to convert a 2-point play at the end of regulation to lose, 21-20.

Last season Hobart jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead but then saw RPI rally back to make it a 27-21 ballgame late in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Statesmen were able to run out the clock and get away with a hard-fought win.

Scouting the Engineers

RPI is a spread offensive team that employs slotbacks and other receivers. The Engineers have called it down the middle with respect to plays, running the ball 115 times for 531 yards, and have scored most of their TDs on the ground (eight). They've gained more first downs (31-21) via the air and have passed for 813 yards off of 106 attempts with five passing TDs compared to only three INTs. 

RPI is led by SR QB Anthony DeMatteo who's gone 54-97 for 753 yards. JR RB Kayden White leads the ground game with 61 rushes for 292 yards and the eight aforementioned TDs. White is also a threat in the passing game, having caught nine passes for 107 yards and two TDs. He is one of four RPI receivers with over 100 yards on the season. 

Defensively RPI is led by JR and SR DBs Matt Krauza and Miles Lafferty with 30 tackles each. RPI likes to "stack the box" to take up space on the LOS and allow their LBs and DBs to run in for the tackle. The Engineers secondary has three INTs on the season so far and the defense has racked up nine sacks and 24 TFL.

RPI always has a strong special team's unit and has three experienced kickers this season who handle FGs (SR PK Aleksandar Maric), KOs (SR PK Hayden Gray), and punting (SR Anderson Burke), respectively. 

Keys to the Game:

1. QB Consistency: One of Hobart's biggest issues has been the QB play four games into the season. While each has shown flashes, there has not been the level of consistency needed to win ball games. RPI has a proven leader in DeMatteo, once again another very experienced QB the Statesmen defense will need to solve for, but Hobart is still looking for theirs.

2. Run the Ball: I didn't think the Ithaca defense would have much success stopping the run last Saturday, but to their credit, they held Hobart to 79 yards and a paltry 2.9 YPR average. RPI's rush defense is strong also, holding teams to just under 95 YPG and they've yet to allow a rushing score on the season. With the QB troubles we've seen to date, the Statesmen will need to win the LOS and establish a strong running game to have a chance in this one. 

3. Home Sweet Home: I don't know what it is, but Hobart just wins at home (91% of the time). The Statesmen's record at the Boz under HC Kevin DeWall '00 is 30-3. They need some of that Boz magic to make it 31-3 and get a key LL win under their collective belts Saturday. 

Final Thoughts:

It's hard to gauge this game given RPI was steamrolled by a team Hobart beat (Utica) and beat a team the Statesmen lost to (Brockport), albeit barely. Either way, I expect a lower scoring game like last Saturday that could come down to field position and special teams plays. Points will be at a premium, but hopefully the larger Homecoming crowd will give Hobart the home field advantage they need to get back on track. 

Looking forward to tuning into this one. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Third Down Struggles Sink Statesmen at Ithaca, 13-7

The Hobart College Statesmen dropped another strange and heartbreaking game at Ithaca today, 13-7. There were a mix of bad calls, breaks and just bad play on third down that ultimately sunk the Statesmen's (1-3, 0-1) chances at winning their first ever road game at Butterfield Stadium.

Hobart went 2-13 on third downs and was held to only 79 rushing yards in the loss. All three Hobart QBs played, but none of them were really able to rally the offense. SO QB Aidan Conrath getting the start was a surprise, and while he was in was very efficient, going 9-10 for 87 yards, but his injury from last week must have flared up because he gave way to SR QB Tru Styles. SO QB Jeremy Weiss threw the only Hobart TD of the game - a neat 12-yard sideline pass to SO WR Johnny Harding with 28 seconds before the end of the first half to tie the game at 7-7.

Ithaca (3-1, 1-0) would struggle to move the ball all day against an aggressive and stalwart Statesmen defense. SR OLB Mike McGhee was everywhere, tallying 15 tackles. The Bombers were held to 140 passing yards, well below their usual average. The Bombers opened the second half with a quick score but missed the extra point. They missed a FG in the game as well. 

Unfortunately a few bad calls, especially the DPI flag that was picked up when Hobart was driving to potentially win the game, became part of another chapter in the long curse of Butterfield, where strange things happen to help Ithaca win. 

The loss all but ends Hobart's NCAA playoff hopes, barring some kind of three or four car pile-up in the conference standings, which is theoretically possible with seven teams. 

It doesn't get any easier with a resurgent RPI (3-1, 1-0) coming to the Boz for Homecoming on Saturday. The Engineers beat Brockport, 30-24 in overtime in Week 3 and demolished previously unbeaten Rochester (3-1, 0-1), 31-3 today. 

Will have more on the RPI game early next week. This one hurt, but we have to move on. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart.

Week 4 - Statesmen Battle the Bombers to Open League Play

While both Hobart (1-2) and Ithaca (2-1) enter this game with different records, the only one that matters is this one: 0-0. The second quarter of the 2025 season begins this Saturday as the Statesmen look to start their LL Championship title defense and break old curses.

Yes, Hobart is 0-18 all-time at Butterfield Stadium and trails Ithaca 6-31 in the series that dates back to 1961. The fact that should give Statesmen fans hope is that they broke a six-game losing streak to the Bombers last season, after going 4-3 against them between 2000-2016. 

Ithaca has a 45-14 win over a team Hobart lost to, Alfred University (2-1, 0-0) in Week 1, so in theory the Bombers should be big favorites in this one. What we saw last weekend however gives me hope that this group of Statesmen have a chance to finally do what prior teams have failed to pull off - a win at Butterfield.

Scouting Ithaca:

While the Bombers stats have been inflated by a lopsided 65-3 win over Hilbert (0-3) and a bad 42-14 loss to #3 Johns Hopkins; a few things stand out. Ithaca has a fairly balanced offense, leaning towards the passing game as they've averaged 287 passing YPG compared to about 160 rushing YPG. The Bombers have scored 10 passing and seven rushing TDs. First downs (38 and 33) lean to the pass also. Defensively they've held their opponents to about 257 YPG in total offense and 19.67 PPG.

While they were no match for #3 Johns Hopkins (3-0) when I watched that game in Week 1, the Bombers have regrouped and are playing towards their strengths now.

They are led by the experienced JR QB Matthew Parker who a very accurate passer (70% completion percentage) and who's thrown for nearly 650 yards, five passing TDs and two INTs (both against JHU). 

Ithaca has a "RB by Committee" program in the run game, as there are five ball carriers (including Parker) who have double digit carries over the first three games. JR QB Michael Reed scored three rushing TDs against Hilbert in relief, but it seems like SO RB Chase Myers gets the bulk of the work, leading the team with 106 rushing yards and two scores. 

JR WR Nicolas Lang is the Bombers' QB's favorite target. Lang has caught 19 passes for 302 yards and three TDs. Not far behind him is SO WR Tian Murray with 13 catches for 219 yards and 1 TD.

Defensively Ithaca is led by a pair of DBs in GR DB Sam Tourangeau and SO DB Joe Spira with 22 and 20 total tackles, respectively (most of these came against JHU). The Bombers only have two sacks on the season but have given up eight to their opponents.

On special teams, JR PK Luke Savino averages just over 60 YPKO and the punting / FG duties belong to SO PK Caleb Wandell. He's averaged 41 YPP and converted 2-2 FGs with a long of 41 yards.

HC Michael Toerper has a 29-9 record since taking over the Bombers program in 2022. He's fiery on the sideline and an aggressive play-caller.

Keys to the Game:

1. Close off the Quick Strike: In the win over Alfred, Ithaca scored on 10-, five-, two-, eight-, six-, two- and nine-yard drives. The Saxons had no answer to the Bombers air attack, giving up 347 passing yards. Hobart's defense had success in limited a strong passing QB in Szalkowski from Utica last weekend by constant pressure and an array of blitzes. 

2. Park Parker: Given the fact the Ithaca OL has allowed eight sacks this season (to be fair, five of them were to JHU), the Hobart defense needs to make their presence felt early in this one. 

3. In Taylor We Trust: Seems pretty obvious, but if you can get JR RB E.J. Taylor to run for 100+ yards and score several TDs, you give yourself a great chance to win. Hobart's OL should have a size advantage over Ithaca's DL and LBs. They need to exploit that and if SO QB Jeremy Weiss gets the start, move him around in the pocket to give his receivers time. This is a defense Hobart can gain 300 yards against if they run it well and make a few key passes when they see the opportunities to do so. 

Final Thoughts:

History is not on Hobart's side, so the Bombers will be very confident and looking to exact revenge for last year's 16-7 loss in Geneva. That win by Hobart last season is even more impressive when you factor in the Statesmen QB's went a combined 6-19 for 117 yards and 2 INTs in that game. Ithaca struggled to pass the ball also, and it was big goal-line plays (and an 86-yard punt) that led to the win.

Here's hoping the Statesmen finally get over the hump here. If there's a will, there's a way.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Comes Back to Beat Utica, 20-17

It was a fast start followed by a frustrating three quarters, but we got a dramatic ending we almost didn't deserve. After jumping out to a 13-0 lead given two Utica turnovers, the Statesmen offense struggled on the afternoon, but Hobart won a big game against previously undefeated Utica (2-1, 0-0) to notch their first win of the season, 20-17, improving to 30-3 at Boswell Field under HC Kevin DeWall '00.

Not to say I was right, but the Statesmen pressured the Pioneers QB effectively and made enough plays to generate an early lead. While they didn't run the ball as well as I would have liked, the Statesmen did outgain Utica and averaged 3.5 YPR and called 33 rushing compared to 19 passing plays. Maybe the turnovers were part of the Boz's magic, which propelled Hobart to their 30th home win under Coach DeWall. 

You can read the HWSAthletics.com recap here. 

SO QB Jeremy Weiss came off the bench to go 4-6 for 74 yards, but it was the defense with four sacks, a FF/FR and INT that was the difference. The Statesmen rushed for 114 yards, 105 from JR RB EJ Taylor who scored all three of Hobart's (1-2, 0-0) TDs, in another clutch performance. 

End of the day, a win's a win, and the Statesmen needed one badly. With conference play starting in Week 4, this was exactly the boost of confidence Hobart needed to get ready to defend their LL title. Realistically this should be a 3-0 team, but with a combination of injuries and struggling on the offensive side of the ball, the Statesmen stumbled out of the gate.

They need to go on a seven-game run starting next Saturday. We're here for it.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Looking Back on Week 2, Looking Ahead to Week 3 - Utica Game Preview

For the first time in many years, I missed the window to get a game recap up. I suppose I could blame the family weekend and travel. Really, I think it's the fact that I was just so disappointed with the outcome of Saturday's game, I had to mull it over for a bit before writing anything about it. 

The sad truth of the matter is Hobart (0-2, 0-0) is off to their worst start since 1999. They are at risk of going 0-3 with a surprisingly strong Utica (2-0, 0-0) team that's brought in an upper-division transfer QB who's blown out Washington & Jefferson and RPI in the last two weeks. The Pioneers were the last team to beat the Statesmen on their home field back in 2023, and only Ithaca has defeated Hobart twice at home since HC Kevin DeWall '00 took over the program in 2018. 

Looking Back

You can read the Brockport game recap from HWSAthletics here. Although Hobart led most of the game and the defense stood up for about 58 minutes, the offense gained only 37 yards on 23 plays in the second half. Ultimately what was supposed to be the strength (the offense) of the Statesmen going into this season, has really hurt the team, and when I asked one of the Golden Eagles' coaches who is a long-time acquaintance via In the D3FB Huddle about what's going on with the Statesmen, all he said was "they got some OL depth issues". I think QB play has been pretty inconsistent also, and it's been an issue for some time now. If you look at the teams at the top of D3, they have guys with over 60-70% completion percentages and who can throw for 200-300+ YPG. We haven't had one of those since Shane Sweeney '18. 

Either way, the Statesmen could easily be 2-0 but a couple of bad plays have given them this difficult start. Factoring in Ithaca drubbing Alfred (1-1, 0-0) by a 45-14 margin last weekend also, the rest of September's outlook looks grim to say the least.

So how can Hobart turn things around?

Looking Ahead

Scouting the Pioneers:

A big part of Utica's resurgence has to do with the addition of FCS transfer (via University of Albany and Robert Morris) SR QB Tyler Szalkowski. His numbers so far this season are fantastic, going 55-69 for 913 yards, 10 TDs and only 2 INTs in ONLY TWO GAMES!

The Pioneers' defense has been allowing over 22 PPG, but Szalkowski and the offense has put up an average of 45 PPG, which they'll likely expect to do to the Statesmen this weekend. Three Utica WRs have over 100 yards receiving already and the running game is led by JR RB Eze Frazier (39 rushes for 139 yards and 1 TD), but honestly, the Pioneers haven't needed to run the ball much. 

Defensively, Utica is led by SO LB Isaiah Thomas with 18 total tackles. SR DB Eli Douglas has 2 INTs already on the season. JR DL Jordan Davis leads the team with two sacks. 

On special teams the Pioneers have only punted three times and are 0-1 on FGs, so not much to report there. JR PK Nico Duarte has been averaging just over 48 YPKO and has gone 12-13 on PATs. 

Leading Utica since 2008 is HC Blaise Faggiano who is currently the longest tenured D3 HC (if not all of NYS, would need to double check that) in NYS. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Sack Szalkowski - It goes without saying that Hobart must get pressure on this talented QB. He has carved up opposing defenses in the last two weeks and the most points Hobart has allowed in the DeWall era at the Boz was 31 to Ithaca back in the 2022 season. Utica will look to stretch the field and get points on the board quickly. They've scored 21 and 28 points in the first half in both their Week 1 and 2 games, respectively. 

2. Back to Basics - While I know the OL is banged up (they've lost 2-3 starters), establishing the run and controlling the clock is a big key to keeping Szalkowski on the sideline. JR RB E.J. Taylor will need to get rolling, as the Utica defense has allowed over 3 YPR and close to 93 YPG rushing (but that number is deceiving given how their opposition has had to play from behind). You could make an argument to try starting SR QB Tru Styles and go with a more RPO based offense against the Pioneers, but that's up to the coaches, not me. 

3. Home Sweet Home - We all know that Hobart has a 90.6% winning percentage at home since the 2018 season. One of those losses was a surprising one to Utica in 2023, however, so they will be very confident coming to the Boz this Saturday. The Statesmen just have to play a strong fundamental football game and not beat themselves like they have in Weeks 1 and 2. 

Final Thoughts:

I don't bother with Logan Hansen's ratings or models, but my guess is he has Utica as at least 10–14-point favorites in this game. You don't need to be a statistician after watching the games to see that Hobart has some issues they need to fix. Utica seems to be on a roll and could be looking to make another statement like they did against W&J and RPI.

Hobart hasn't started 0-3 since 1996, Coach Cragg's second season as HC. Here's hoping the Statesmen can lean on their winning ways at the Boz and pull off kind of an upset win Saturday.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Week 2 - Statesmen vs. Golden Eagles Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen return to a familiar, but difficult place to win, this Saturday when they take on the Brockport Golden Eagles. It's been a short series, but one that's covered many years, dating all the way back to 1949. After that initial game, the Statesmen didn't see the Eagles again until the 1970's (1974, 19977-79) and kept the series going for a bit in the 1980's (1980-82), until shutting it down for a few decades. 

Hobart and Brockport's modern era really started in 2016 and went four years with the teams splitting the home-and-home schedule, 2-2. Overall, the Golden Eagles have a 7-5 advantage in the overall series, but Hobart did win the last match up pretty convincingly, 33-7.

This season this is a tale of two very different teams and programs. Last Thursday night in Week 1, Brockport (1-0, 0-0), steamrolled a hapless Buffalo State, 41-0. We know what happened with the Statesmen. 

Hobart (0-1, 0-0) comes into this game needing a win, but they will be the underdogs. 

Scouting the Golden Eagles

Offensively, the Brockport running game is the key for the Statesmen. The Golden Eagles SR RB Isaiah Simmons is the best RB in the Northeast not named EJ. He rushed for 174 yards on 25 carries and scored three TDs in Week 1. He is coming off a 2024 season where he rushed for nearly 1,500 yards and scored 19 rushing TDs.

Defensively, the Golden Eagles have run a version of the 3-3 stack for at least a decade now. Hobart has moved in that direction with 3 DL and having the flexibility to stack LB/DBs in different roles depending on what the offense shows them. Last week the Brockport defense was led by SR LB Luca Friedman with six total tackles. FY DL Jayden Ferrell had a nice debut, logging five tackles, two TFL and a sack. 

On special teams, the Golden Eagles only punted twice so not much to report there. FY PK Connor Parker kicked one 59 yards and back up SO QB Anthony Vino apparently did a "quick kick" for 34 yards. JR PK Zach McGowan averaged nearly 61 YPKO, with two touchbacks. One KO rolled out of bounds. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Stop Simmons: While Hobart can't sleep on the experienced and accurate JR QB Ben Gocella (10-12, 140 yds., 1 Pass. TD vs. BSU), Simmons is the key to the Brockport offense. Their big OL will look to establish the run early and keep Hobart on their toes. I do expect Gocella to take a few deeps shots (SO WR Nathan Williams was his favorite target in Week 1 to the tune of four catches for 75 yards and one TD), so we'll need guys like JR DB Zeshaun Dixon ready and playing better than we saw in Week 1. The Golden Eagles ran 40 times compared to 18 pass attempts against BSU, probably because they could, so you can do the math. If Hobart can create issues for them in the run game, that will help the Statesmen level the playing field.

2. Negative Plays: A big reason for the Hobart Week 1 loss was simple - three turnovers and seven penalties for 63 yards. Some of those penalty yards were unnecessary too, but the either the coaching staff didn't stress the new injury rules enough, or the players just made mental mistakes in not going down fast enough to avoid the flags. Once bitten, twice shy is what I hope we see this weekend. We can't afford many more injuries, obviously, but turnovers and negative yardage will kill Hobart against a team as good as Brockport. 

3. Just Win: To say this is a must win game is an understatement. Utica (1-0) put up close to 600 yards of offense on PAC co-champions W&J in Week 1. The Statesmen need a get out of this OOC schedule with some positive momentum, especially with LL play starting at Ithaca in Week 4. 

Prediction: 

While I had some concerns about Hobart being a close to .500 road team, the reality is more than half (nine) of those 15 losses were to ranked teams, and eight of them to LL rivals (Ithaca, Union and RPI), which, when it comes to conference play, isn't a surprise. Almost all of them were also close (7-14 points, or less), save for one (and a lopsided loss to Ithaca in 2019), which was the 2018 Brockport game which was HC Kevin DeWall's debut with a young, inexperienced team against one that ended up in the final four, losing to the eventual National Champions. 

The Statesmen can go on the road and win this game, but they will have to execute better than they did last week. I expect a low-scoring defensive battle that will come down to who rushes the football better and doesn't commit the most mistakes. I'll be optimistic and say Hobart can win this game, 24-21, because if they start 0-2, 0-3 and 0-4 likely follows and that's not the road we want to see this team go down. 

LFG Bart. Time to win.

Never Forget

On this 24th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, I wanted to recognize former Hobart College football player and alumnus Andy Glokin '93 as well as fellow grads Scott Rohner '01 and Michael Simon '83, P '11 who lost their lives that unfortunate day.

HWS did a nice piece on their website commemorating and remembering this tragic event back in 2021.

I'd also like to recognize the Toyen family, who lost their daughter and sister Amy in the attacks. She was the younger sister of my Avon High School classmate, Heather.

Never Forget.

Saxons Turn Out the Lights on Statesmen, 28-23

The Hobart College Statesmen 2025 regular season got off to a dubious start last Friday night with an unexpected, 28-23, loss to the Alfred University Saxons. Alfred had been the team who Hobart (0-1, 0-0) had a 14-game winning streak against dating back to 1996 going until this year.

The Saxons (1-0, 0-0) capitalized on several Statesmen mistakes and penalties, including a pick six interception return for a TD by SR DB Thomas Welch. SO QB Aidan Conrath got the start and made a few rookie mistakes (the pick six included) along the way. JR RB E.J. Taylor had a good night, rushing for over 100 yards and scoring all three of Hobart's TD's. Injuries to the OL and the new injury rules implemented by the NCAA bit the Statesmen multiple times. At this point the Hobart are potentially down three starters, which is pretty shocking this early in the year. Hopefully they will all make quick recoveries, and this won't be like the lacrosse team who seems to lose key contributors on the regular every season. Makes me wonder if we have a S&C issue, or just really bad luck. 

While I didn't understand the lack of urgency / use of a no huddle offense in the final drive of the game, clearly the coaching staff felt with the two minute and three timeouts they'd be ok. In the end, it didn't pan out that way. Hobart took nearly six minutes to score, couldn't convert the onside kick and Alfred made some plays and ran out the clock to win the game. 

You can read more about the game from the HWSAthletics.com recap here. 

The loss drops Hobart's road record under Coach DeWall to 18-15. The Statesmen just seem like a different team away from Boswell Field. Something I want to deep dive into soon. 

Looking ahead, a motivated and strong Brockport (1-0, 0-0) team that blasted Buffalo State (0-1, 0-0), 41-0, last Thursday night awaits. Equipped with one of the best OL's and RBs in the Empire 8 (if not Region 2), the Statesmen could be looking at an 0-2 start. Brockport DC Mike Fox runs a trickly 3-man stack defense that an inexperienced OL and QB may struggle against. 

I have to say after last Friday, I am less optimistic about Hobart's chances in this one but will hold out hope they can make some corrections quickly. 

Week 1 - Statesmen vs. Saxons Game Preview

The 131st season of Hobart College Football will come down to how the Statesmen play on the road. This opening game will be the first of six road contests for Hobart who are looking to defend their Liberty League Championship and return to the playoffs in 2025.

This season will open under the lights of Yunevich Stadium at Alfred University. The Statesmen will face the Saxons for the 83rd time in an Upstate rivalry that dates back to the 1902 season. Hobart leads the all-time series by a 43-35-4 margin, winning the last 14 in a row. Last season, a long lightning and weather delay made the Hobart home opener a very drawn out, and occasionally, dramatic one. Alfred led the game 7-3 until an eight-yard rushing TD by QB Johnny Columbi '25 gave the Statesmen their first lead of the game with only 1:52 remaining. Hobart would hold on and win, 10-7. 

Alfred would go on to finish the 2024 season with a 7-4 overall record. This year, not unlike Hobart, the Saxons are looking to replace some key players due to graduation, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Scouting the Saxons

SR QB Chris Kelly took a big step forward in 2024, throwing for 2,071 yards and 18 TDs. He added 194 rushing yards and 1 rush TD. An established starter, you can expect Kelly to lead the Saxons offense in 2025, barring a preseason injury. 

The Statesmen secondary will see almost a totally new WR corps however, as only SO WR Carmine Hoag is returning. SR Thomas Welch caught 18 passes for 196 yards and a TD in 2024, but he's listed as DB (and one of Alfred's captains) for the 2025 season. Hoag finished second on the team with three receiving TDs.

The Saxons will also be auditioning a new starting RB. While undersized, JR RB Steven Bidwell looks like the most experienced returnee. He carried the ball only eight times last season, but he netted two short yardage TDs. There are six other RBs on the roster, including three FY, so your guess is as good as mine on who gets the call here. One element to note about Alfred's offense is last year they liked to use a TE/H-back in goal to go situations. Something to keep an eye out for if they encroach the end zone.

Leading the way for Kelly and the specialists will be a huge OL, which is a staple of many E8 teams. The OL group is led by the giant SR OL Carter Fronk. Standing 6' 5" and 370 lbs., Fronk will be a mismatch for the Hobart DL. The Statesmen will likely have to rely on their speed to get around him and the other OL starters. While the starting lineup here is TBD, the Saxons boast 10 OL players who weigh in at or over 300 lbs. 

Defensively, Alfred lost a stud with the graduation of LB Joe Copp '25. JR LB Landon Spencer is undersized but sturdy. He racked up 49 tackles for the Saxons in 2024. SR DL Quadir Holmes led Alfred with 3.5 sacks to go with 4.5 TFL and 22 total tackles up front. 

The Saxons have six P/K listed on their 2025 roster. JR PK Dominic Bronco went 7-8 on FGs last season. JR PK Owen Bishop handled KO's, averaging 54 YPKO. Bishop also went 2-3 on FG attempts in 2024. SO PK Colin McGovern averaged just over 40 net yards in punting. We will see if the other three FY PKs crack the lineup, otherwise, it seems like Alfred has an experienced Special Teams unit. 

Having only returned six punts all last season, I imagine the Saxons will find a sure handed speedster for this job. Same for KOs as both players who handled the majority of them last season have either graduated or left the program. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Close In On Kelly - The new look Statesmen defense will be put to the test early by the Alfred offense, especially by Kelly who's one of the better QBs Hobart will face this season. Given the Saxons OL's size, I imagine they will test Hobart with the run early and look to open up mismatches in the passing game. It'll be imperative for the Statesmen DL and LBs to get steady pressure on Kelly early on in this one.

2. Stick with the Program - While we will see a lot of new faces on the field in this first game, after six seasons, we know what Hobart Football under Coach DeWall '00 looks like - an aggressive, attacking defense, with an opportunistic RPO style offense and will be run first, while looking to make a big pass play down the field later in the game. Couple that with a strong special teams' unit, and the Statesmen should be fundamentally strong across the board. I expect a low scoring first half as both squads get up to game speed. Hopefully after some halftime adjustments, Hobart can open things up.

3. And Stick with the Script - You have to go back to 2018 for the last time the Statesmen lost a season opener. That was Coach DeWall's first game as Hobart's HC (I was in attendance) against a Brockport team that ultimately made it to the National Semifinals / Final Four. Hobart is 4-0 vs. Alfred in season opening games dating back to 2021, so it stands the Statesmen are road favorites here. That said I expect a tough game from both teams and turnovers/mistakes may ultimately decide the outcome. 

Prediction:

While I think we'll see more scoring that we did last season, and I like the idea of Hobart working out some kinks offensively early, but with a strong running game, they will be able to pull away and win this one 35-14. 

Looking forward to tuning in next Friday night to listen / see how this one goes. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

The 2025 Hobart College Football (Team 131) Preseason Preview

Welcome back to football season!

The Statesmen wrapped up their 2024 campaign taking the Landmark Conference Champions, National Semifinalists and 2025 preseason Top 5 ranked Susquehanna University to the limit, dropping a 42-35 shootout in the playoffs. Hobart rushed for 217 yards and four TDs in the game. The Statesmen won the Liberty League Championship with a perfect 6-0 record and finished 9-2 which matched the 2016, 2019 and 2021 seasons for total wins. 

This season Hobart is returning key players in several position groups but will have to lean on experienced second stringers and perhaps some newer players to step up into starting roles in others. For the first time in a while, the Statesmen will have six road games, which have proved challenging in the past. Hobart has only lost three home games since HC Kevin DeWall ’00 took over the program in 2018 but has been more like a .500 team on the road (this is a topic for a whole other post because a lot of these road games have been against ranked teams). Just like in prior years, I’ll preview the offense, defense, special teams and the regular season schedule. 

OFFENSE

Looking at the offensive side of the ball, Hobart returns effectively the entire OL from last season which is a big plus. SO OL Javon James, SR OL Quinn Broggy, SR OL Ashton Mejias and SO OL Jake Jeffay create a solid core for Coach DeWall to build his offense around. SR OL Ben Goodell, who started every game in 2023, is also back and will likely step in at guard. While it remains to be seen if any of the incoming FY players can jump in and play like James and Jeffay did last season, I would anticipate others in the mix and good competition to determine the two deep and to potentially overcome a few injuries which often occurs up front. 

The WR corps were a pleasant surprise last year, with a lot of new faces who quickly became All-Conference level players. SO WR Johnny Harding would win the LL ROTY award with a team high 43 catches for 584 yards and eight TDs. Several other receivers such as SO WRs Luke Hansen, Tristan Reynolds, and Owen Preskar will look to improve upon their solid FY campaigns. I also expect JR WR Marcus Peterson, who had four receptions for sixty yards last season, will play a bigger role this year. 

At TE, Hobart graduates a couple of starter level players but also welcomes back a key returnee in SR TE Luke Hescock who has another year of eligibility after he missed the 2023 season due to injury. When he’s healthy, he’s a de facto All Conference talent in my book so with him back, along with SR TE Lukas Ruby and JR TE Timothy McKeever, this position has good depth, blocking and receiving wise.

Speaking of blocking, the OL and TE group will once again be opening up holes in opposing defenses for JR RB EJ Taylor who had a breakout 2024 season. He led the team with 1,196 rushing yards on 211 carries with 12 TDs. He added 15 catches for 109 yards and two receiving TDs out of the backfield also. While you can expect Taylor to get the majority of the carries this fall, Hobart has a strong group of RBs behind him that could get opportunities to make their mark as the season progresses. 

The biggest change for the Hobart offense this fall will be at QB. 

JR QB Tru Styles backed up Johnny Columbi ’25 for the past two seasons, playing in 12 games in his Hobart career. Styles has passed for 292 yards and three TDs while also rushing for 157 yards in those games. 

Also competing for the starting QB role are SO QBs Aidan Conrath and Jeremy Weiss. Both of these QBs were early decision commits to Hobart's Class of 2028. We first met Jeremy in January of 2024 as a recruit out of Commack HS (NY). We first met Aidan about a week later in February of 2024 as a recruit out of Gonzaga College HS (DC). 

While they didn't see the field as varsity players in the 2024 season, both had very impressive film from their HS careers, so it's no surprise they are in the mix to potentially start at QB this fall.  

DEFENSE

The Statesmen defense was the strength of the team last season, finishing fourth in the nation allowing just over 11 PPG. The biggest question marks going into the 2025 campaign will be around who will replace the highly productive LBs lost to graduation in Anthony Romano, Cashon Young, Jamien Bliss and Vincent Giordano ’25.

SR OLB Mike McGhee is the only returning starter from this unit and he’ll take a greater leadership role in 2025 because of it. In 2024, he finished third on the team with 61 total tackles to go with nine TFL, 3 sacks, and 3 INTs (one which was a 67-yard pick six against Buffalo State). I think we’ll see a number of incoming FY, rising SO and other players get looks at these open LB roles. 

The Statesmen return several players for the DL, including SO DL Billy Brosko who’s promising 2024 campaign was cut short due to injury. Other players like SR DL Dante Randle (who earned All-Conference honors in 2024), JR DL Hunter Vos and SO DL Perry Goodridge will be in the mix. 

In the secondary, Hobart will welcome back SR DB Alex Smith and JR DB Zeshan Dixon. Other Statesmen expected to step up in 2025 include SO DB Corey Rock and SO DB Ryan Van Tassel. Both were ball hawks last season, even as rotational players / backups, collecting a combined seven INTs. I could see a handful of incoming FY players competing for backup roles in this group potentially. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

With the graduation of Tobias Wefering ’25, the kicking duties will fall on the capable shoulders of SR PK Vicente Lyon and JR PK Luke Monteyne. I expect LS duties to transition to a new Statesman, with the possibility of new recruit FY LS Teague Blanchard getting some opportunities eventually after working on developing his skills on the JV squad. 

Last season SO WR Johnny Harding and SO WR Tristan Reynolds handled the majority of the punt and kickoff return duties, but I expect the coaching staff will give some other newcomers a chance to prove themselves on special teams.

SCHEDULE

For the first time in many years, Hobart will have an unbalanced schedule with six road games. The month of September may dictate the remainder of the regular season as there are two tough Empire 8 crossover games at Alfred (7-4, 5-2) and Brockport (8-3, 5-2) in Weeks 1 and 2. The Golden Eagles (given all the graduations and new coaching staff at Cortland) could be a prohibitive favorite to win that league this year. Time will tell. 

Week 3 the Statesmen host Utica (5-5, 3-4), who was the last program to beat Hobart on their home field (in the low scoring, 10-6, 2023 ECAC bowl game). In Week 4 the Statesmen hit the road to break the curse of Butterfield Stadium and open their defense of the 2024 LL Championship. As everyone already knows, Hobart is 0-18 all-time there and that has to change for this program to take the next step. 

Week 5 has the Statesmen hosting RPI which is always a tough battle. In Week 6 Hobart hits the road to take on long-time conference rival Union College before getting a bye in Week 7. 

Hobart will host Saint Lawrence in Week 8 then hit the road for back-to-back road games at Rochester and new affiliate LL member, Hilbert, in Weeks 9 and 10. This will be the first time in several decades that the Centennial Cup game won’t be contested in Week 11. This season, that game will be Hobart hosting Buffalo State on Senior Day. 

While the coaches may not agree with this statement, the Statesmen’s schedule is much easier in the back half than the front. If Hobart can escape September with a winning record, they could be on their way back to the playoffs for the second straight season. 

The NPI process and “dials” will remain in effect for the 2025 playoffs, so the Statesmen’s goal needs to be a minimum of 9 regular season wins, and/or a chaotic round-robin 6-1 conference season with tiebreakers like we saw in conferences like the SAA and PAC last year, to qualify for the playoffs. That’s getting way ahead of ourselves here, but you can count on me and Frank to cover all the NPI “stuff” later in the season on In the D3FB Huddle. 

While a few big questions remain heading into preseason camp, we can expect the offense to carry this team, at least early on, while the defense solidifies itself for a potential postseason run. It was the opposite last year, with the defense doing the heavy lifting until the offense came around. Given the personnel coming back, Statesmen fans should be optimistic going into the 2025 season.

Thanks as always for reading (it was pretty cool to see this little blog go over half a million views!) and go ‘Bart!

9 More Weeks!

The defense of Hobart College's 2024 Liberty League Championship begins in 63 days or exactly night weeks from tonight under the lights at Alfred University. The Statesmen are coming off a 9-2 campaign with enough returning key players that they could garner some Top 25 preseason consideration. 

I'll work on a 2025 season preview next month and post it about two weeks before the first game. I hope everyone is having a great summer. Don't forget the annual Football golf outing is in early August. Contact Coach Green for more information.

Thanks for reading as always and go 'Bart!